Zulueta 'tutors' SP newbies anew
Zulueta
Deceitfully stripped of her committee chairmanships last year in a scheme designed to make her appear idle and ineffective, Iloilo City Councilor Perla Zulueta had turned to being a tutor to some of her neophyte colleagues in the Sangguniang Panlungsod, most of whom were among those who conspired against her.
In last Wednesday's weekly regular session of the city legislature, Zulueta was at it again, 'educating' neophyte councilor Lyndon Acap on the nitty-gritty of advancing a proposal that seeks to create a new office by suggesting how such a move could be accomplished more effectively.
Earlier, Acap, a former barangay captain of Mohon, Arevalo who surprised almost everyone by squeezing into the winning circle of 12 in last May's councilor race, took the floor to sponsor a resolution "for the creation of an Iloilo City Cooperative Development Office (ICCDO)," rattling off reasons that would justify the creation of such an office.
Zulueta, who is now on her fourth term as a member of the city legislature, then approached the podium to say that while Acap's purpose in wanting the ICCDO created is laudable, "he needs to tell us if his resolution is a mere policy statement or he really intends to go to the details of creating such an office."
"He is not being clear. If this is just a policy statement, we can pass this resolution right away. But if he really intends to sponsor the creation of such an office, all these things should be presented to us for deliberation. We need time to study it before we approve it. I don't think we can finish it in a matter of a month or two. That is why I suggest that this matter be referred back to the proponent for further study, report and recommendation," said Zulueta, dubbed the "Iron Lady of the City Council" for her no-nonsense stand against graft and corruption in government.
Councilor Erwin Plagata, who presided over the session in the absence of Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog, for his part said that if Acap intends to really spearhead the creation of the proposed office, he should make it in the form of an ordinance and not a mere resolution.
This was seconded by Majority Floorleader Eduardo Peñaredondo, who said that since the resolution is just in preparation for an ordinance that would create such an office, some rewordings would have to be made with the title. "The word 'calling' should be inserted in the title so that it would read, 'A proposed resolution calling for the creation of the Iloilo City Cooperative Development Office.'"
Pavia model
According to Zulueta, if Acap is really bent on seeing to the creation of said office, he should do some research on existing cooperative development offices to know how these offices work.
"In fact, perhaps there is really no need for the creation of a new office; maybe we can just forge some kind of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that would bring together all existing city offices that have a stake on this matter and get them to work together," the lady legislator from Molo.
"We can even follow the lead of the municipality of Pavia, which I understand has some sort of a cooperative development office that is now very successful. Of course, there is nothing wrong in following the Pavia model; at least we're assured that it is successful," Zulueta further quipped.